Keith Altham’s British Beat

LONDON—MICK JAGGER and PAUL McCARTNEY putting their heads together may mean the emergence of a new record label and a joint-owned recording studio to be used by both groups, merging to become “The Rolling Beatles!”

First to acquire the new BEACH BOYS LP “Smiley Smile” in Britain was SMALL FACE RONNIE LANE—how I wish that I could like the album as much as he does . . . PETE TOWNSHEND of THE WHO delighted to be receiving guitars from an American admirer to smash on stage in Britain . . . Just occasionally some new person arrives in this business who restores my faith in the human race—MIKE NESMITH can collect his membership card and badge whenever he likes! . . . When ANIMAL DANNY McCULLOUGH got wed, he complained that all the hippies disappeared from the reception after the champagne had run out . . . MICK JAGGER currently negotiating for a $60,000 mansion in Berkshire . . . PAPA DENNY revealed the goodies on ZAL YANOVSKY’S pet lizard ‘Mustupha’ who rushes about the place on his hind legs! . . . Did Allen Klein really try to sign up the TROGS? . . . THE ROLLING STONES may live to regret their parting from Andrew Oldham . . . GEORGE HARRISON and SMALL FACE STEVIE MARRIOT now orthodox vegetarians . . . Famous last words from Mick J. on their late lamented “We Love You” which did not do as well as they expected here—“We Loved It!” . . . THE MOVE came out on top from the vast publicity they received over the Prime Minister suing them . . . TRAFFIC another of the groups who appear in the BEATLES ‘Magic Mystery Tour’ . . . On hearing that she had made number one in the U.S. charts, LULU completely flipped and forgot her booking at Nantwhich Civic Hall that night . . . KEITH RICHARD wearing badge portraying photograph of Russian astronaut killed last year in a space shot . . . FELIX CAVALIERE fell over himself apologizing for non-appearance of the RASCALS on their projected British tour here . . . BRUCE JOHNSTON and LULU were dancing partners in L.A. a few months ago . . . DONOVAN’S “Sand and Foam” composition relates to an actual visit he took to Mexico . . . SCOTT McKENZIE spent his first night out at London Speakeasy watching Eric Burdon and ran into old friend Tim Rose . . . New group member likely to be the face that launches a thousand pin-ups—PETER FRAMPTON of THE HERD . . . ANITA HARRIS’ U.S. trip in October had to be cancelled because her film company refused to take the risk of her being injured even with one million pounds insurance . . . BILL WYMAN now separated from his wife is sadly missing his son Stephen . . . JAMES BROWN arrived in Paris with 72 pieces of personal baggage—his tour here was cancelled . . . HERMAN on cruise in the Agean Sea aboard the cruiser Rena during October . . . MICK JAGGER not exactly enthralled with reports linking Alain Delon with MARIANNE FAITHFULL on French film set . . . Somewhere along the way after MAMAS AND PAPAS arrived in Britain, they mislaid DENNY . . . LULU an almost fanatically follower of horoscopes and astrology . . . Quote of the year from MAMA CASS after being arrested at Southampton docks: “I was not exactly delighted”—After the case was dismissed Cass quoth: “I am delighted to come out of this unbesmirched” . . . PROCOL HARUM and THE MOVE managed by Tony Secunda . . . KINKS managers Robert Wace and Grenville Collins have joined the Rolls Royce owners . . . Mick Jagger vastly amused by Mothers of Inventions ‘Prunes’ track on their last LP . . . Hands up, all those who can hear Mick Jagger singing on the SERGEANT PEPPER album? . . . HOLLIE GRAHAM NASH now beardless and ALLAN CLARKE moustacheless . . . TREMELOES hairstyles with the exception of Chip Hawkes all look like wigs . . . ERIC BURDON proud possessor of a flashing police light in his living room . . . MARIANNE FAITHFULL reading “A treatise on White Magic” kindly gifted me with her previous reading matter “The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam” . . . CBS blundered here by making “Fakin It” the B side of SIMON AND GARFUNKEL’S last single . . . BILL COSBY gaining a lot of ground amongst the top pop people . . . MICK JAGGER being pursued by photographers as he has never been pursued before . . . ANIMALS manager Mike Jeffries is known as ‘our man in Majorca’ by the group . . . A pity the column had to stop, DEREK . . . ANDY WICKHAM struck at 3 am in the morning with a phone call from Los Angeles to my house . . . BRIAN JONES plays harp on Stones next LP . . . ROLL-on Stones next LP . . . Rolling Stones sound engineer Glyn Johns recently married . . . Two groups that should make it in Britain but probably won’t—THE ASSOCIATION and HARPER’S BIZARRE and don’t ask me why . . . And now Manareshi Mahesh Yogi would like to sing for you his latest recording: “We Love Guru!”